The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to intra-atrial therapy and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a medical apparatus and a method for performing intra-atrial ablation therapy.
An objective of intra-atrial ablation therapy is to isolate a defined portion of an atrium from an electrical signal. During pursuit of this objective, disruption of blood flow in a heart chamber can be a problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,810 discloses an inelastic balloon with an attached inelastic ablation element for use in a heart chamber. The described balloon provides an inner flow channel for blood. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.
WO 04/105807 describes an expanding “clover” shaped balloon to bring a circular ablation element into contact with an inner surface of a pulmonary vein. The described clover configuration leaves channels for blood flow between the balloon and an inner surface of the pulmonary vein so that flowing blood can contact the inner surface of the pulmonary vein. The disclosure of this application is fully incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,605 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,925 each describe a continuous electrically insulated boundary encircling the pulmonary veins as a means to electrically isolate the pulmonary veins from the myocardium. Both of these patents describe epicardial ablation procedures. The disclosures of each of these patents are fully incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,846 describes a balloon that fills an atrium of a heart. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.